FAQ - How do PARTY GAMES work?

Please Note - The following page contain details of how a typical merrymurder party game works. However each game is different, and will therefore contain different elements and have its own quirks.

Sending out the invitations

Prior to the party you will need to read the details of each character involved in the mystery and decide which of your party guests is most suited to play that role. Each guest then needs to be sent the appropriate invitation. This should be done some time prior to the party so that, if they wish, the guest may prepare a suitable costume for the event.

Preparing the room

On the night of the party the room needs to be prepared. For each merrymurder, all characters need to be able to see and hear each other, so a large circle or around a table is ideal. If the murder involves an Investigation Panel, you may like to have these characters sitting together.You will also need a "Clue Table" where clue objects and documents can be displayed. Ideally this should be in the middle of the group, so everyone can easily access it.Finally, some games involve "Mystery Witnesses", who the Chief Investigator will interrogate. For these games you can have a witness stand, which each witness can take before being questioned.It is then only a matter of waiting for your guests to turn up and take their seats so you can make the Opening Speech

Opening Speech

At the beginning of each game the Chief Investigator will make an opening speech. This is contained in their Chief Investigator Booklet.The speech explains to everyone what is going to happen and how the crime will be investigated. Its purpose is to reassure novice players. Newcomers to murder mysteries might be feeling a little nervous and worried about what they have to do. This speech should reassure and relax them, allowing them to thoroughly enjoy the game. You then move on to the Introductions.

Introductions

The Chief Investigator and Main Suspects will now each introduce themselves to the group. This information, which is on the front cover of their Character Booklet, is the same character information which they were sent in their invitations.Some games also have a script after the introductions, which the characters will read out. This will be a re-enactment of an event connected with the murder, and will contain information and hints about what is to come! And in "The Pungent Pumpkin Poisoner", it is after the introductions that the murder actually occurs! When all this has been completed, the Investigation can get underway.

Investigation

The Investigation can now begin. It will take place over 3 or 4 rounds, and during these rounds anything can happen! Members of the Investigation Panel will each have been given questions with which to challenge the suspects. In their Character Booklets, the suspects will have been given responses to these challenges. They may also have challenges themselves. And, as there is always plenty of love, hate, greed, passion and jealousy among the suspects, their interactions can get pretty animated!

Clue Objects and Clue Documents will be discovered, leading to further revelations and acrimony. And in some games Mystery Witnesses will suddenly come forward. These characters usually offer damaging evidence that will compromise individual suspects and make them sweat. Characters will also have actions to perform and, in some games, scripts will be acted out. And other unusual items, such as poems, magic mirror responses, songs, web blogs and mystery mailshots may turn up!

At the end of each round the Chief Investigator will provide a summary, from their character booklet, as to what has been learnt. As there is always plenty going on in a merrymurder, these summaries are helpful in keeping everybody informed of the skulduggery that is afoot. At the end of the final round, the Chief Investigator will announce that they have heard enough evidence to decide who the guilty party is. It is then time to move on to the Protestations of Innocence and Accusations.

Protestations of Innocence

Each of the suspects' acting is now tested to the limit as they read their final Protestation of Innocence from their Character Booklet. This is their last chance to persuade the Investigators (and each other) that they are innocent of the murder. By this time the character(s) who is guilty of the crime will have been informed of this fact in their Character Booklet, so they will be genuinely lying.

Accusations

After three minutes thinking time, the Chief Investigator goes round the room, asking everyone to name the person(s) they think are guilty. After everyone has voiced their opinion, the Chief Investigator goes round a second time, asking why they have come to that conclusion. This method prevents a person altering their opinion after the have heard someone else's convincing deductions. At this point the actual killer(s) will have to come up with a convincing accusation against an innocent suspect. Once everyone has explained their choice and reasons, it is time for the Chief Investigator to take centre stage and make the dramatic Denouement Speech.

Denouement Speech

The Chief Investigator's Dramatic Denouement speech is contained in his Character Booklet. Using the clues from the clue table, he will explain his deductions, eliminate the innocent and, finally, unmask the killer(s)! The evidence will be so overwhelming, the murderer(s) will be forced into making a Confession.

Confession

Opening the Confession Envelope, the murderer will be forced to confess to the crime. They will reveal exactly what has been going on. The motivations and emotions that led to them committing the crime and the method by which they accomplished it.

Just so the Chief Investigator does not get too big headed, the confession may contain further information regarding the crime, which the Chief Investigator has not appreciated.And to conclude the game all the players will be asked to give themselves a round of applause!

Colour Coding

Like the "murder in an hour" games, the merrymurder party games use colour coded questions and answers to make the games foolproof to play and ensure nobody misses their cue. You can see full details of how the colour coding works here.